Clothesline manipulator



w.A D. WADDELI.

` cLoTHEsLINE MANIPUL'ATOR 'June 3, 1952 Filed April 1, 194s Patented June 3, 1,952

' OFFICE cLo'rHEsLINE MNIrULArroR' Willis D. Wadden, oalgamn'iberta, Canada Application April I, 1946, Serial No. 658,812 n' 1 In Canada May 145, 1945 f My invention relates to clothes line manipulators for the attachment and for the release of clothes and the like to and from a clothes line respectively, said clothes line being .ofvgspecial construction for this purpose, and the objects of this my invention are to provide a handy device through which a twisted two strand line may be pulled, and by such action the strands to become separated from one another. adjacent to the device sufliciently so that portions of the articles to hang therefrom are securely gripped therebetween, to accomplish whichY a continued movement of the line by hand in a direction away from the device permits the strands to regain their twisted relationship to clamp the inserted clothes in a hanging manner, and conversely, by reversing the direction of movement of the line the clothes will automatically fall from between the strands of wire as they are drawn toward the device due to the separation of the strands as they enter and pass through the device.

An important advantage in my invention is that rotation of the wires abouttheir common twisted axis is impossible when the device is rigidly attached to the holder provided on one of the lengths of wire employed with a supporting pulley as in the preferred type, thus avoiding any tangling of the clothes.

A further advantage is the speed andl ease `with which placing of the clothes on the line may be done, and the fact that the dried clothes will drop from the line, if so desired, without handling immediately the strands of the double wire spread from one another as the line comes to within a few inches of this strand parting device.

A still, further advantage is that clothes pins are not needed in my invention, since the twisted strands` of wire grip the articles between them in a positively secure manner until separated by movingf the wire through the device. As soon as the strands of wire are separated and the wire has travelled say three or four inches away' from the face of the device they regain their twisted engagement such action being a necessary requirement when the line is manufactured.

The device may be separatedfrom the pulley holder Aif so desired, in which case it would. be gripped.. by the hand and slid along the stationary two-strand line to effect the same separation 'of the strands for the placement or for the release of` the clothes. This method however is not as convenientor as practical on account of having to use onev hand to manipulate the device on the line while placing the clothes with the other hand.

:s claims. (ci. 211-1'1913) The strands of Wire occupying an important position in the manufacture of this device are of specially selected materialV to withstand the untwisting and twisting operations, and to return to the twisted formation when required. These strands may be separated within the invented device eitherV in a vertical direction over rollers or ina horizontal direction within the case over the enclosed sheaves, this being a matter of convenience in manufacture, since the results are` identical in each case, and the case is so designed as to hold the roller style or the sheave style,; whichever type is preferred.

Drawings are attached to this specification on which are to be found the following figures illus-` trating the device:

Fig. 1 shows an elevational view of the clothes line `with supporting end posts and with the device mounted in place, being attached to the holder of one end pulley. v

Fig. 2 is a part sectionalized side view of the manipulator.

fvFig.. 3 is vva half section view on the vertical centerline of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a part sectionalized side view of a different arrangement of internal parts to maintain the strands of wire separated in a horiozntal direction.

Fig. 5 is a half sectionalized view on the vertical center line of Fig. 4. l

Fig. 6 is Van end view of the attachment member which secures the manipulator to the clothes line sheave holder.

Fig.'v lsshows the attachment member between themanipulator and `the clothes line sheave holder; and` Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the roller holder.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

' .Referring to the drawings the numeral l represents a clothes line consisting of two. single strands of wireso twisted during manufacture that they will maintain their longitudinal relative overwrap, and at the same time being of such resilient composition that they will return to normal twist following successive temporary separations from one another within shor lengths. v Conventional clothes line sheaves 2 'and 3 support the said line I in the usual manner, and are carried in holders 4 and attached by bolts 5 to posts 6, one of such bolts having a tightening nut-l. i

Referring to the modification of the invention illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the manipulator or strand separating device A includes a. hollow tubular member 8V which is adapted to enclose a portion of the endless clothes line I which is extended between the end sheaves 2 and 3. The tubular member 8' is firmly supported by a relatively stiff frame I which is secured to the frame 9 of one of the two end sheaves 2 and 3 I2 formed within an enclosing; partly circulan block I3 which forms a spindlel and whichv istria@ tatable concentrically within and is Bdstioned: slightly towards one end of the member 8'; The openings I2 can be designed to permit'therpdxllcysl to rotate one on the other to reduce friction therebetween. Thev block; member t3"- isf slotted,

Aas indicated by the-.numeral I4, diametrlc'ally towards the centre.- thereof at; sufficient. depth to'.v expose the pulleys, overrthczsurface offeach ofi whichA a. separated; wireI strand" of" the-liner' l travels-as the line-is drawn: through. the y tubular memberY 8. They block ory Spindler ISi i's-retainedinplacef in the tubularfmember-byv rings. I5;..one of which is pressed into veach` en'dgof tlieatubul'ar member-after the block I3`- has beenl inserted therein, thespace between the ringsftcrmlngca racewayffor vthe block. The' rings If5: can be secured in place'blT pinsV I'Scr which arefextendcd through-aligned openings,n inthe tubular.' member-andl the rings; The rollers, being? shorter than the openings I2, are secured' inf'placefby pins- IG. K

In the modification oftheVA invention illustrated in Figures 4 and". 5', av pair' of'pulleya. IFI:v are@ ro tatably mounted in axialalignmentT antan/.1axle:1

er spindle |81 which isrdisposed inthe'v tubular member 8a at right angles to the longraxistltire. of. This spindle I8, with its'pulleyslf, isfr tatable concentrically about theairis-etthe:tribuk lar member 8a withy itsl ends travellingY in` ascii'- cular grooveor raceway Itla-v formed byfthesspace between; the-ppposing; surfacesV of: the rings.; 3.' which are inserted into the tubular member', onev at'each endthereof'. A circular guide bllsf I9 is formed or provided between each.- pulley and the opposing surfaces of the* rings. 30' tdu reduce the friction betweenA the= pulleysA andv the: ringsand to properly retain the movablesparts-therea within. The ringsi are Lsecured i'nf place bis the pins- 30whichare extended through` aligned holes in the tubular member and thevr rings.VV

.Affriction washer ZI'- is mountedfonzthspindle I8? between the pulleys: I1. r,"llrr!furthera-idiin reducingV friction between thefspindle AIl andthe .walls of the groove 18a, the opposing faccsfeftherings 30T are cut back angularly, asf indicated bythe: numeral 22. Also, the spindle l8isz1prcs vided with: journal caps V23. on. each of; its4 ends which. are incontactwith. thev krimi-edgesxi!v fil acter described, a tubular member, a ring member permanently lixed to the interior of each open end of the said tubular member and spaced from each other, and located within the said tubular member, a spindle, two pulleys loosely mounted thereon, said ring members and the tubular member forming a raceway receiving the ends of the spindle. y

2..A. clothes hanging, device comprising a clothesline having a pair of twisted strands, and a strand separator mounted thereon, said separator comprising a cylindrical hollow body, an axlevhavingrpulleys rotatably mounted thereon and separately engaging said strands, said body having-meansfproviding an annular raceway, in @plane-perpendicular to the strands, which receiveszthe ends of the axle.

' 3. In combination in a spreader for separating thestrands of a twisted clothes line having two strands, a hollow barrel member, a pair of spaced ringiifnemberspositioned between the ends of said barrel;member al spindle extending transversely off said: barrel memberv withv its Yends positioned thetspace'between the'ring members and .freely rotatable 'thereinl a .pair of pulleys rotatably mounted` en said"v spindle, and means positioned beit/ecn".eachv of said pulleys and the adjacent endv osaid/spindle for spacing said pulleys on said: spindle.

4. In combinationv in a spreaderA for separatln the; strandsfof va twisted clothes line having two strands,y a hollowbarrel member, a pair of spaced ring:A members positioned between the ends of saidfbarrelmember, a spindle extending transversely pf saidv barrel member' with its ends posi tioned inf the space between the ring members and freelyy rotatable therein, a` pair'- of pulleys rotatably-mounted on said'spindle, means posit-loned:betweeny eachof said pulleys and the adjacent' end offsaid` spindle'for spacing said pulleys on said. spindle, and meansI for spacing said pulleys ifrom each other.

5. clothes hanging device comprising a clothesline-- havlnga pair of twisted strands, a strandfseparator mountedv thereon, saidseparator comprising acylindrical hollow body, a spindle extendingrtransversely of said hollow' body` having pulleys rotatably mounted thereon .and'separatelya-engaging said strands, said body having meansl providing an annular raceway, in a'pl'ane perpendicular to thev strands, which receivesV the ends of" saidV spindle,- an'df means Vpositioned be-v tween. each of. said-pulleysfand' the adjacent end ef: said't spindle spindle.

' WILLlS D. WADDELL.

REFERENCES CITED vIfhe following.v references are of record in the file oflthis patent;

UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Number Name Date 451,065v 'McKay Apr. 28, 18,91 1j;559,57'1' Moore Nov. 3, 1925 1,654,682' Dulczewsk Jan. 3, 1928 1,836,281 Russell Dec. 15, 1931 2,056,481' Pauli Oct. 6, 1936 2,407,387' Seymour Sept. l0, 1946 amasse- Dmm Aug. 161 1949 for-sp`acing said pulleys on said 

